Combo of 3 Sets of Vietnamese Traditional Musical Instruments: Bass Drum (Trong De), Metal Gong (Thanh La), and Small Gongs (Tiu & Canh)

Vietnamese traditional music is a world of distinctive sounds, where every form of traditional performance has its own musical character. From Cheo (Vietnamese traditional opera), Tuong (Vietnamese classical theatre), Chau Van (Vietnamese spiritual singing), Xam (Vietnamese folk music), to Ca Tru (Vietnamese ceremonial singing), the human voice has always been closely connected with musical instruments, especially traditional percussion instruments.

Some instruments may not stand at the center of a performance, yet they play an essential role in keeping rhythm, creating accents, guiding singers, and shaping the atmosphere of an entire performance.

Three such instruments are the Vietnamese Base Drum (Trong De), Vietnamese Metal Gong (Thanh La), and Vietnamese Small Gongs – Tiu and Canh (Tiu Canh).

One carries the warm sound of jackfruit wood and buffalo hide.

Another is crafted from a copper-based alloy, producing a bright, clear, sharp, and resonant tone.

The Tiu and Canh consist of two small metal percussion instruments with different pitches, creating high, delicate, ringing, and lively sounds.

These three instruments have different sonic colors, but together they tell a story about Vietnamese traditional music, performing arts, and traditional craftsmanship.

Behind every instrument are the hands of Vietnamese artisans and skilled traditional musical-instrument makers – people who select materials, shape and finish instruments, and carefully prepare them so that each one can develop its own musical voice.

In this way, the story of the Vietnamese Base Drum, Metal Gong, and Small Gongs is also a story about the connection between Vietnamese traditional music and traditional craftsmanship.

Vietnamese Base Drum (Trong De) – The Rhythmic Foundation of Cheo

Among traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, the Vietnamese Base Drum (Trong De) is a small percussion instrument with an especially important role in Cheo, one of Vietnam's best-known traditional theatre forms.

Trong De belongs to the membranophone family and has existed in Vietnamese traditional music for a long time. In Cheo, it is known as Trong De, while a related type of drum used in Ca Tru is commonly known as Trong Chau, or the ceremonial praise drum.

The name “De” itself reveals something about its function.

“De” can be understood as a support, foundation, or underlying layer – something that supports and highlights the performer.

The Structure of the Vietnamese Base Drum

A traditional Vietnamese Base Drum generally has a body approximately 18 cm high, with two circular drumheads measuring around 15–18 cm in diameter.

The drum body, or shell, is traditionally made from jackfruit wood. Some instruments are carved from a single piece of wood, known as a solid or one-piece drum shell.

Jackfruit wood is valued for its relative stability and its ability to produce a resonant sound.

Both sides of the drum are covered with buffalo hide. The hide needs to be thin enough to produce a clear tone while remaining strong and durable. It is stretched evenly across the drumhead and traditionally secured to the shell with bamboo nails.

Making a good Vietnamese Base Drum is not simply a matter of shaping the drum.

The maker must consider the thickness of the hide, the tension of the drumheads, the dimensions of the shell, and the instrument's resonance.

This is where traditional craftsmanship meets the art of sound.

The Distinctive Sound of the Vietnamese Base Drum

The Vietnamese Base Drum produces a sound that can be described as high, lively, crisp, bright, and slightly sharp, yet compact and well-defined.

Different striking positions create different tones.

When the center of the drumhead is struck, the sound is bright and resonant.

When the drumhead is struck while the stick is held against it, the sound becomes drier and more muted.

When the edge of the drumhead is struck, the resulting sound can resemble the sound of wooden clappers.

By combining different striking techniques on the drumhead and shell, performers can create contrasting yet harmonious colors.

The Vietnamese Base Drum also has characteristic playing techniques, including Ngon Ve, a rapid alternating technique, and Ngon Noc, a distinctive rhythmic pattern that requires precise control and coordination.

The Role of the Vietnamese Base Drum in Cheo

In Cheo traditional theatre, the Vietnamese Base Drum performs many functions. It helps keep the rhythm, support the singing, mark phrases, signal changes, accompany performers, and create excitement during dramatic climaxes.

The drum can also help communicate stage movement. Different rhythmic patterns and striking techniques may support the performer's movement, pauses, or preparation for an action.

The percussion instruments of Cheo can therefore help organize the rhythm of a performance, guide transitions between scenes and sections, and signal the entrances and exits of performers.

This importance is reflected in a traditional saying:

“Phi trong bat Cheo” – Without the drum, Cheo is not truly Cheo.

Without the drum, Cheo would lose an important part of its distinctive theatrical language.

Vietnamese Metal Gong (Thanh La) – The Resonant Voice of Traditional Music

If the Vietnamese Base Drum brings together the sounds of wood and buffalo hide, the Vietnamese Metal Gong (Thanh La) introduces an entirely different sonic world.

Thanh La is a self-sounding percussion instrument traditionally associated with the Kinh Vietnamese people. In southern Vietnam, it may also be known as Dau, while in central Vietnam it can be called Tang.

Traditional Thanh La instruments are crafted from a copper-based alloy. They are generally circular, with a slightly raised center and a surrounding rim. They come in different sizes, commonly measuring approximately 15–25 cm in diameter.

Two small holes on the side allow a cord or handle to be attached. During a performance, the musician holds the instrument by the cord with one hand and strikes its surface with a small mallet.

The result is a sound that is high, bright, clear, sharp, and resonant.

When struck strongly, the Metal Gong can produce a particularly prominent and penetrating sound, making it effective for emphasizing strong beats in a musical rhythm.

The “Resonant” and “Heavy” Sounds of Thanh La

One fascinating aspect of Thanh La performance is the ability of the musician to create different sound qualities by controlling the instrument's vibration.

When the musician holds only the cord and allows the instrument to vibrate freely, it produces what can be described as a “resonant sound” – bright and ringing.

When the musician holds the edge of the instrument with the fingers, reducing its vibration, it produces a “heavy” or damped sound.

This demonstrates that traditional performance technique is not simply about striking the instrument. It is also about controlling vibration, resonance, and tone color.

Thanh La in Cheo and Chau Van

In the traditional Cheo ensemble, Thanh La often works closely with the Vietnamese Base Drum.

The resonant sound of Thanh La blends with the sound of the buffalo-hide drumhead.

Its heavier, damped sound can accompany the sharper sound produced on the drum shell.

One instrument brings the firm, compact sound of wood and hide.

The other contributes the bright resonance of a copper-based alloy.

Although their sound qualities are different, they complement each other and create a distinctive color in traditional Cheo music.

Thanh La is also used in Chau Van, ceremonial ensembles, southern Vietnamese ritual music, and various traditional Vietnamese instrumental ensembles.

In Chau Van performances, Thanh La helps emphasize rhythmic accents and contributes to an atmosphere that can be solemn, sacred, energetic, and vibrant.

Vietnamese Small Gongs – Tiu and Canh (Tiu Canh)

If the Vietnamese Base Drum provides the rhythmic foundation and the Metal Gong creates strong accents, Tiu and Canh (Tiu Canh) add a smaller, higher, and more delicate color to the musical texture.

Tiu Canh is a traditional self-sounding percussion instrument used by the Vietnamese people.

It consists of two small metal percussion pieces made from a copper-based alloy, each approximately 10 cm in diameter.

The two pieces have different structures:

• Tiu has the lower rim.
• Canh has the higher rim.

Together, they produce two pitches separated by a perfect fifth.

Tiu and Canh may be mounted on a small wooden frame with a handle, or the two pieces may be separated and played individually.

During a performance, the musician strikes the surface with a small notched bamboo stick.

The resulting sound is high, bright, ringing, delicate, lively, and cheerful.

This distinctive sound is what makes Tiu and Canh different from the Vietnamese Base Drum and Metal Gong.

Tiu Canh is commonly associated with Chau Van ensembles, Cheo ensembles, Bat Am ensembles, and traditional Buddhist ceremonial ensembles.

When combined with strings, winds, drums, and singing, the small ringing sounds of Tiu and Canh become delicate accents that enrich the overall musical texture.

Three Traditional Vietnamese Instruments and the Hands of Vietnamese Artisans

There is something particularly meaningful about the story of the Vietnamese Base Drum, Metal Gong, and Tiu Canh.

Before these instruments can produce sound on a stage, they must first be carefully crafted by human hands.

They are connected to the work of Vietnamese artisans and skilled traditional musical-instrument makers, including craftspeople working within traditional craft communities, workshops, and instrument-making establishments.

For the Vietnamese Base Drum, the maker must understand how to select and work with jackfruit wood, prepare the drum shell, choose and process buffalo hide, and stretch the drumheads to achieve an appropriate sound.

For the Metal Gong, the maker works with a copper-based alloy, shaping and finishing the instrument so that it can vibrate and produce the desired resonance.

For Tiu and Canh, creating two small instruments with different pitches requires careful craftsmanship and experience.

Therefore, a traditional musical instrument is more than an object.

It is the result of craftsmanship, experience, knowledge, and skills passed down through generations.

The craftsperson creates the instrument's physical form.

The artisan refines its musical qualities.

The performer brings the instrument to life.

And Vietnamese culture provides the space in which those sounds are preserved and passed on.

When the Vietnamese Base Drum, Metal Gong, and Tiu Canh Play Together

Imagine a traditional Vietnamese performance space.

The singer begins to sing.

The instrumental accompaniment follows.

Then the Vietnamese Base Drum enters.

One beat establishes the rhythm.

Another marks the phrase.

A series of rhythmic patterns builds the energy of the performance.

Then the Vietnamese Metal Gong rings out.

Its bright metallic sound emphasizes the strong beats and adds energy to the musical texture.

And then Tiu and Canh add their delicate, high-pitched ringing tones.

The Vietnamese Base Drum keeps the rhythm.

The Metal Gong creates the accents.

Tiu and Canh add the delicate highlights.

Three instruments.

Three distinctive sound colors.

But behind those sounds lies an entire cultural system in which craftspeople, performers, and audiences all contribute to the continuation of traditional Vietnamese music.

From Traditional Craftsmanship to Vietnamese Cultural Heritage

The story of these three instruments reveals a deep connection between traditional craftsmanship and Vietnamese performing arts.

A Vietnamese Base Drum begins with jackfruit wood and buffalo hide.

A Metal Gong begins with a copper-based alloy.

Tiu and Canh begin with two small metal instruments designed to produce different pitches.

But all of them must pass through human hands.

Raw materials become musical instruments.

Musical instruments become sound.

Sound becomes music.

And music becomes cultural memory.

In Cheo, music does much more than accompany singers. It supports the stage action, creates dramatic situations, opens and transitions between scenes, and helps performers express movement and emotion.

In Chau Van, the Vietnamese Base Drum, Metal Gong, Tiu Canh, and other instruments help maintain rhythm, establish musical colors, and enhance the atmosphere of individual ritual and musical sections.

In Xam, Tuong, and other traditional Vietnamese singing and performance forms, percussion instruments likewise contribute to distinctive rhythms and musical colors.

Therefore, when we hear a Vietnamese Base Drum, a Vietnamese Metal Gong, or Tiu and Canh, we are not simply hearing a musical instrument.

We are hearing a part of the memory of Vietnamese traditional performing arts.

One drumbeat provides support.

One resonant metal tone creates a highlight.

One delicate Tiu Canh sound adds a shimmering accent.

And behind every sound are the hands of people who have practiced, preserved, and passed on their craft.

The Vietnamese Base Drum, Vietnamese Metal Gong, and Tiu Canh – three traditional Vietnamese instruments, three distinctive sounds, and one shared story about craftsmanship, artistry, and the enduring spirit of Vietnamese culture.